Mother Hunger: How Adult Daughters Can Understand and Heal from Lost Nurturance, Protection, and Guidance

by Kelly McDaniel

Deep in their bones, women with disorganized attachment believe no one is safe. Living this way requires some form of self-medicating. Judy Garland and Édith Piaf both used drugs, alcohol, and romance to numb the pain of their childhood. In spite of health problems, loss of respect, and trouble singing, their addictions escalated. Their stories aren’t unique. Most women with disorganized attachment work too much, spend too much, or eat too much. Some deprive themselves of basic needs. Fleeting emotional highs mask the pain of not belonging anywhere or to anyone. Generally, their first experience of human safety and genuine warmth comes from a professional who is trained to work with complex developmental trauma.